Taste of Saskatchewan food festival sees record attendance

The Taste of Saskatchewan food festival has dished up some of Saskatoon’s best eats over the past 22 years.

The Berry Barn, which bills itself as one of Saskatoon’s most popular culinary attractions, hasn’t missed a year of it. The Berry Barn offers a variety of berries, baked goods and a menu featuring homestyle cooking.

“After you do it that many times, it goes pretty smooth. It’s probably been one of the busier years we’ve had. A lot because of the weather,” said Grant Erlandson, the owner of the Berry Barn.

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Sunday marked the final day of the annual Taste of Saskatchewan festival at Kiwanis Park. The popular food festival draws thousands of hungry visitors, as dozens of local restaurants showcase their best dishes. For the Berry Barn, it’s simple as to what keeps them coming back year after year.

“Exposure is one, but I guess it’s one of those things you put into your summer routine and keep doing,” Erlandson said.

However, it’s a whole new routine for Una Pizza + Wine. It’s their first time at the food festival.

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“We wanted to see what this event was like. We didn’t know if it was necessarily geared towards our style of restaurant. We wanted to get our name out there,” said Courtney Cannon, the restaurant’s general manager.

Organizers said hot weather every day of the festival brought out over 115,000 visitors.

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The festival featured items such as wild caught gator, deep fried Mars bars and seasoned baby octopus.

“We make sure the menu items are completely different, so we have no duplication in menu items. We have a great mix this year,” Ford said.